Betsy Spiker Holcomb Real Estate - Deep Creek Lake Blog

Deep Creek Lake hosts the Winter Olympics?

Betsy Spiker Holcomb Deep Creek Lakes Favorite Realtor

Well….maybe we are never destined to hold the Winter Olympics here in Deep Creek Lake, but we have had enough snow to contend some of the finest resorts in Canada. The world has their eyes set on center stage today as the 2010 Winter Olympics Games begin today. Some people have decided to forego the televised opening events so they can strap on their equipment of choice and compete against their family and friends on Wisp Mountain. As we speak, as far as the eye can see, there is a line of cars filing into Wisp Resort to enjoy a spectacular President’s Weekend.

I remember as a child being fascinated and excited by the start of the Winter Olympics and my heart warmed by the solidarity of the World’s spirit. I couldn’t wait for the start of the giant downhill ski events and I had tremendous respect for the men and women who put their faith in a tiny steel edge on their skis going in excess of 70 mph downhill. I would beg my parents to stay up past my bedtime to be able to watch the long jump skiers explode off the launching ramp and soar like birds over the distance of football fields landing with grace and precision on a groomed corduroy ski slope. My favorite of all, hands down, was and still is the four man bobsled competition. These fiberglass sleds are propelled by gravity on razor steel runners down a frozen ice track going speeds in excess of 90 mph. I was fortunate last year to man the brake-mans position in Salt Lake City and bomb the infamous Olympic run in a four man bobsled.

If you are not here with us on the slopes in Deep Creek Lake this weekend take some time to reflect and enjoy some of your favorite Olympic memories and tune in during the next two weeks to make some new ones.

Real Estate information from Deep Creek Lake

We’ve made it through the first 36-48” we received at Deep Creek Lake this weekend and now we’re bearing down for the next 12-20” coming tonight and tomorrow. Having been housebound for a day, I was able to catch up on some market tidbits and interesting facts recently released by The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR®).

NAR® has recently released a book that outlines the buying habits of the previous year, 2009. What we have believed over the past year is now official…90% of buyers use the internet to search for real estate. Although these statistics are geared toward a primary residence homebuyer rather than a second homebuyer, the tactics are still the same for any buyer. This information is helpful in ‘moving with the market’ and adapting your business plan to meet the wishes of your target market.

47% of recent homebuyers were first-time.
21% of recent homebuyers were single women.
Typical homebuyer searched for 12 weeks and saw 12 homes before buying.
Recent sellers sold their home for 95% of asking price and 60% had reduced the price at least once.
42% of recent sellers offered incentives in terms of warranties and closing help.
Sources recent buyers used in home search: 90% internet, 87% agent, 59% yard sign.
Most frequently used sources by buyers: 76% internet, 68% agent, 24% yard sign.
“Most useful” information for buyers was found: 81% agent, 77% internet, 42% yard sign, 2% newspaper.
Buyers found the home they purchased using: 36% agent, 36% internet, 12% yard sign, 2% newspaper.
Website features buyers found “very useful”: 84% photos, 82% detailed information, 63% virtual tours, 46% agent contact information, 43% interactive maps, 40% neighborhood information.
What buyers want most from real estate agents: 46% finding home, 16% negotiating terms, 13% negotiating price, 9% help with paperwork, 8% comps.
What buyers considered benefits of using an agent: 63% understand process, 53% pointing out unnoticed features/faults, 42% negotiate terms, 41% improve knowledge of search area, 41% improved list of vendors, 20% expanded buyers search area, 18% narrowed buyers search area.
Number of agents interviewed by buyer: 66% one, 19% two, 10% three.
“Most important” factors for buyer agent selection: 98% honesty/integrity, 95% knowledge of purchase process, 93% responsiveness, 92% market knowledge, 84% negotiating skills, 83% people skills.
Methods used to find agent: 40% referral, 24% used agent used previously, 5% met agent at an open house, 3% saw contact information on yard sign or open house sign, 1% calendar, magnet, etc.
“Most important” factors for listing agent selection: 22% pricing help, 21% find a buyer, 19% marketing help, 19% selling home within specific timeframe, 10% find ways to fix-up home so it will sell for more.
85% of all FSBOs had an agent bring the buyer.
FSBO vs Agent Assisted Sales Price: FSBO $172,000, Agent Assisted $215,000
(Source: National Association of REALTORS®)

As always, feel free to contact me anytime concerning Deep Creek Lake or Garrett County real estate 301.616.5022. With the upcoming President’s Day holiday and the fresh powder, it’s the perfect opportunity to visit Deep Creek Lake, Maryland for a long weekend and take on Wisp Ski Resort’s 30+ trails.

Real Estate information from Deep Creek Lake — Wisp Resort

Deep Creek Lake Winter Revisited

Deep Creek Lake Winter Revisited

I have heard a lot of chatter from people on the East Coast and a lot of the country who are voicing their desires for springtime to blossom tomorrow (if possible!) with the wave of a magic wand. Here in Deep Creek Lake we had 36 to 40 inches this past weekend with another 20 inches coming in the next couple of days. My love for winter activities segregates me to a different perception of cold snowy winters, and I could tell by the sea of smiles I encountered this weekend that I am not alone. The amount of snow we are receiving here in Deep Creek Lake and the quality of powder that we have seen makes it all too difficult to throw in the towel for the winter season. I know there are some “powder junkies” like myself that look at a big winter snow storm in the same light as a surfer sees a hurricane and its potential for bringing a large clean swell or in our case, some fresh powder.

You won’t be disappointed if you make it to Garrett County from your hometowns this weekend (some of who are still digging out from the last storm last weekend). Rest assured that the roads here are masterfully manicured and most of all safe to bring your family for a visit. I see the snow starting to fall this morning and I’m already getting excited about getting a couple of quick powder runs in tomorrow morning before work. Be one of the many who get out of the gates early and come chase the fresh snow during our self proclaimed “powder hour” and make sure you get your fill of fun before spring does officially take over.

Deep Creek Lake Winter Revisited — Deep Creek Lake powder run

Snowmobile Drag Races Deep Creek Lake

If you have the need for speed or just like to be adventurous, snowmobiling is a great way to see Deep Creek Lake’s countryside in style. The Deep Creek Lake State Park’s Meadow Mountain Trail is one of the ways you can enjoy 5.5 miles of open terrain, perfect for a Sunday ride. For those who are really gung-ho, hardcore locals ride at their own risk at 70+ mph on the ice frozen waters of Deep Creek Lake. The lake offers 65 miles of shoreline, approximately 3,900 acres of surface coverage and is roughly 12 miles in length. A pretty large playground for the brave!

Snowmobile Drag Races will be held at Winter’s Field in Oakland, Maryland on February 20th beginning at noon. Registration begins at 9:00 to 11:30 and there are cash payouts for 1st, 2nd & 3rd places in each class. There are 7 classes this year: 1) Vintage “1990 & Older” sleds, 2) 500cc & Under, 3) 600cc, 4) 700cc, 5) 800cc, 6) 900cc, 7) 1000cc.

The race is sponsored by High Mountain On-Off Road, Auto & Truck Accessories. For more information call 301.334.5060.

Deep Creek Lake Winter Extension

Deep Creek Lakes Winter Extension

Deep Creek Lake Winter Extension. Well the groundhog has extended our winter season, which is fine by me considering I have not had my fill of snowboarding this year. Wisp Resort was jam-packed this weekend with happy skiers and snowboarders. The talk among the local winter sports enthusiasts is that it has been some of the best snow that we have had in decades. The recipe for that perfect champagne powder is cold temperatures, low humidity, and snow, snow, SNOW. This is something we have had plenty of. Bring your family to Deep Creek Lake and come join us and the winter extension. See you on the slopes!

Deep Creek Lake The Eastern Continental Divide

Some people that travel to Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, Maryland say that it’s almost like someone flipped the weather switch once you cross over the Eastern Continental Divide line in the Eastern most part of Garrett County, near Grantsville, MD. And, living in Deep Creek Lake my entire life, I can attest to that!

Whether you’re commuting to the area from Baltimore, DC or Northern VA you might get the impression on the ride here that there won’t be any fresh snow when you arrive. But, hold on, just as soon as you top the hill at Finzel and again at Keysers Ridge you will come to find that this is not the case at all. The Eastern Continental Divide falls just between these 2 mountain ranges, that’s why many say it’s a landmark for the weather to come ahead. In fact, Garrett County has the highest elevations in Maryland, ranging from 1800-3000 feet in most areas and 3000-4500 feet in a few small spots. See Maryland elevation map courtesy of geology.com: http://geology.com/state-map/maryland.shtml.

The Eastern Continental Divide, in conjunction with other continental divides of North America, demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Prior to 1760, the Divide represented the boundary between the British and French colonial possessions in North America. The ECD runs south-southwest from the Eastern Triple Divide through several Atlantic Seaboard states (and West Virginia) to the watershed of the Florida Bay, which is adjacent to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Continental_Divide)

Find out for yourself. Pack up the family and head as far West as you can go in MD to Maryland’s only ski resort for the weekend, Wisp Resort. You’ll experience Deep Creek Lake in it’s winter wonderland. www.DeepCreekLakeProperty.com

Deep Creek Lake The Eastern Continental Divide — Eastern Continental Divide (in yellow)

The Davisson Brothers Deep Creek Lake

The Davisson Brother’s at Deep Creek Lake

The Davisson Brothers Deep Creek Lake — Black Bear Davisson Brothers

Ok…You just spent the day skiing in perfect powder at Wisp Resort in Deep Creek Lake. You just finished having the famous Wednesday night sushi dinner special at DC’s Bar and you are looking for something to capture your attention and enhance your already amazing vacation experience. Thankfully, you are already nearby to an incredibly entertaining musical experience that has become the place to be for many McHenry Locals. Nothing stirs up more enthusiasm for locals and visiting Wisp patrons then the one and only Davisson Brothers Band.

This Clarksburg, West Virginia band is a fusion of bluegrass, country, blues, and rock and roll that is fueled by the lead singer/guitarist Donnie Davisson, who stomps the crowd in the ground with his hardcore country boy personality. His facial interaction taunts the crowd while he slings and swings around the stage smiling and singing proudly of self-proclaimed Hillbilly Honky Tonkin. “ Are there any hillbilly’s out there” he laughs in-between songs. The rhythm section is led by the ear-to-ear smiling master bass player Sammy Davisson, whose country/rock funkadelic grooves are in perfect cadence with the solid drum beat of Aaron Regester.

The whole sound is pulled together by the soul-cleansing force of mellow Davisson Brother lead guitarist Chris Davisson, who is in command of the Allman Brothers-styled southern blues slide guitar licks that relax the crowd during one guitar riff and has them shaking their hips on the next. He stands as the “quiet Beatle” of the group whose stage maturity serves as the backbone to the Davisson Brothers sound.

Put the Davisson’s Brothers webpage in your favorites and be sure to schedule a visit to Deep Creek Lake to catch their next performance (February 17, 2010).

The Hillbilly Gypsies

The Hillbilly Gypsies

I’ve picked guitar for the last 20 years and I can tell you it’s not my strong suit. I have always loved the sounds of a guitars flat picking bass runs, a screamin fiddle, and the spine tingling banjo following the pulse of the standup bass. I have always had great respect for the people who instinctively possess the ability to dissect the frets of any bluegrass instrument and use it as a tool to pull people together from all walks of life and have a great time.

This summer I stumbled in on a bluegrass jamboree hosted by The Mountain State Brewery and starring the Hillbilly Gypsies. This group of five brings you back to old school foot stompin/hand clapping back woods bluegrass. They are true to a style of music that I’ve read has roots back to Ireland, Scotland and England and that evolved throughout American history in the mountains and country of this great land.

Check out their schedule before you make your next trip to Deep Creek Lake and be sure not to miss one hell of a good time.

Deep Creek Lake, Maryland Market Update

Deep Creek Lake, Maryland Market Update. Our market seems to be stabilizing and the average sales price is consistently climbing. The graph below shows the latest data on Sold listings for the last nine quarters in Garrett County, Maryland. The flattening of the arc is encouraging, as well as the increase in Sales Price. Feel free to contact me anytime for a specific market update on the property-type you’re most interested in buying or selling (waterfront homes, slopeside homes, homesites, condos/townhomes at Deep Creek Lake)

www.DeepCreekLakeProperty.com.

Deep Creek Lake Maryland Living-2010

Don’t get too cozy next to the fireplace with your usual favorite beverage on your next visit to Deep Creek Lake. The winter has consistently produced an abundant amount of snow and it shows no sign of giving up anytime soon. We all love Deep Creek Lake in the wintertime for the excellent skiing and snowboarding but don’t be afraid to step out of your normal routine on occasion and get out there and explore Garrett County and all it has to offer. Take a trip down to Swallow Falls State Park and go for a long walk around a magical winter wonderland where the waterfalls are frozen like arctic stalactites. I didn’t realize you could actually smell clean air and how invigorating it is. Get over your fear of the cold and get outside and discover a county that has an enormous amount of acreage set aside (never to be developed) for you and your family to enjoy. Load up the kids and the dogs and head down to Fork Run Recreational Area to walk the trails around the rock climbing areas. This is a great place to snowshoe in the wintertime after a huge snowstorm. Challenge yourself this New Year to excel in life and to live every day as if it was your last; let Garrett County be the catalyst for your change. I can’t think of too many areas in the world that offer you such picturesque scenery that pulls you back into nature and the feeling of being alive. Bob Dylan wrote in song once; “He not busy being born, is busy dying.” Make 2010 your year for living..

Category: Betsy Spiker Holcomb Real Estate